A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

Clever ‘THAT House’ In Melbourne Would Cut West Side Monsters Down To Size

that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_20

With our city now so laughably unaffordable, thousands of Vancouverites are stuck imagining wonderful homes instead of living in them. “Spaced” is a record of our minds wandering the world of architecture and design, up and away from the unrewarding realities of shoebox condos, dark basement suites, and sweet fuck all on Craigslist.

————————————————————

(via) This house in Melbourne is awesome on many fronts. For starters, it’s uniquely beautiful – one of a kind. It could also teach Vancouverites a thing or two. THAT House, as it’s called, is located in a community dominated by big houses on big lots. The two-storey construction – essentially three glass-ended rectilinear blocks (one above/bridging two) – by local firm Austin Maynard Architects stands out in that it’s considerably smaller than its neighbours, which allows for lots of outdoor space and terraces, not to mention a pool. The firm is adamant about reducing home size, saying that large homes “are an environmental disaster for our cities, whilst also being a cultural/social disaster for our communities.” In explaining their work, they’ve put words to several Vancouver thoughts:

“Like many of our wonderful clients, the owners of THAT House are keen to able to open up to the community rather than permanently hiding or fortifying themselves. As Australian homes and culture become increasingly inward looking and protective, AMA is reacting against this trend. THAT House can open up to the outdoors, both private and public. Importantly a house that can be very transparent needs to be able to adapt to multiple privacy needs. Hence we have installed upwards blinds to give the owners control over their level of privacy. How many times have you seen huge windows with their blinds permanently down? This happens because of the binary a downward blind creates. A downward blind provides no privacy until it is completely down. An upward blind enables you to cut out almost all view into a home while still being able to look out to the garden, and the street beyond. This gives control over all levels of privacy and intimate control over the light let into each space.”

We’ll take ours in the middle of the West Side, ideally on a big lot between two imposing giants.

that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_16 that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_17 that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_0 that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_4 that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_5 that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_7 that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_8 that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_9 that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_10 that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_11 that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_12 that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_936_21 that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_14 that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_15 that-house-austin-maynard-architects-melbourne-australia_dezeen_1568_19

SPACED // Tiny ‘Nature Villa’ in the Woods

It lacks a kitchen but we'd happily cook over a fire nearby just so we could sleep in that bed and hang on that deck...

Contemplating Life on a Handmade ‘Floating Island’

The big deck holds a BBQ, a herb garden, a hammock, and several other wonderful things besides (like a baby blue canoe).

We’d Like to Self-Isolate in This Off-Grid Tiny House on the Other Side of the World

To be able to escape the city for the sake of social distancing is a dream worth having in these weird and dangerous times.

We Dig These Cabins Designed For Sustaining Good Times in the Wild

The cool and remote constructions take full advantage of photovoltaic panels, grey/black water treatment and rainwater collection.